Apparatus for operating propellers



June 18, 1968 E, JUNG 3,388,748

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING PROPELLERS Filed Sept. 16, 1966 United States Patent Oflice Patented June 18, 1968 AZPARATUS FOR OPERATING PROPELLERS lngvar Karl Einar Jung, Finspang, Sweden, assignor to Stal-Laval Turhin AB, Finspang, Sweden Filed Sept. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 580,126

Claims priority, application Sweden, June 15, 1966,

8,141/66 Qlairns. (Cl. 170-4352) This invention relates to apparatus for operating two propellers, such as employed in marine work, in parallel and in opposite directions, and such apparatus contemplating the connection of each propeller to an engine for full-speed operation and to another engine for cruising speed.

It is an object of the invention to provide an arrangement of this kind in which one of the engines employed shall be a gas turbine engine, and in addition two of the engines also being gas turbines, are served by a common gas generator. Such generator can consist of the following known components such as a compressor, a combustor and a turbine for operating the compressor. As a result the number of gas generators used for the turbine operation can be reduced, thus lowering both weight and cost. Moreover, the same size of gas generator can be used for cruising turbines and full-speed turbines in cases in which the cruising speed power is half or less than onehalf of the full-speed power.

With the above mentioned object and other objects hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly delineated in the claims appended hereto.

The accompanying drawing shows an illustrative and schematic view of the apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Indicated at 1, 2 and 3 are gas generators, each of which includes the following main components namely, a compressor, a combustor and a turbine for operating the compressor. The gas generators shown at 1 and 3 are operative to supply driving gas individually to the power turbines shown respectively at 4 and 5. These turbines are the full-speed turbines. The turbine shown at 4 is adapted for the rotation of the propeller 6, while the turbine shown at 5 is intended for the rotative operation of the propeller shown at '7. The propeller shown at 6 is mounted upon a shaft 8, While the propeller shown at 7 is mounted upon a shaft 9. The two shafts are arranged in parallel and the propellers carried by these shafts as above described are rotated in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows in the drawing.

Power is transmitted by means of reduction gearing which, in the first stage consists of pinion 10 carried on the shaft of the turbine 4, and the pinion 11 carried on the shaft of the turbine 5, the pinion 10 engaging gear wheel 12 and the pinion 11 engaging the gear wheel 13. The second stage consists of planetary gearing shown at 14 and 15 respectively coupled to the propeller shafts 8 and 9.

Two power turbines shown at 1'6 and 17 are employed for cruising speed, and these turbines 16 and 17 obtain their driving gas from a common generator shown at 2 which is effective to serve both of these turbines 16 and 17 by means of a branch line shown at 18. The shafts of the turbines 16 and 17 respectively carry the pinions 19 and 20 which respectively mesh with the gear wheels 12 and 13. Between the turbine 16 and its pinion 19 is a clutch 21 and a similar clutch is arranged between the turbine 17 and the pinion 20. These clutches permit the operation of the propellers by means of the full-speed turbines 4 and 5 only, or by means of the cruising-speed turbines 16 and 17 or by means of all of the turbines 4, 5, 16 and 17 simultaneously.

As indicated in the drawing, the shaft of the turbine 4 passes through a hole in pinion 10 and the shaft of turbine 5 passes similarly through a hole in pinion 11. Each of the turbine shafts is connected to a clutch 22 located on the opposite side of the pinion 10, 11 from the turbine. This enables a longer shaft to be used which permits a certain amount of radial displacement.

The engines 4 and 5 used for the full-speed operation can be of a type other than a turbine, such as a diesel engine for example.

The controls can be suitably arranged so that the two propellers can be loaded unequally. For example, the branch line 18 can be provided with a butterfly valve in each branch for distributing the driving gas to the turbines 16 and 17. Different loads can also be obtained by using controllable-pitch propellers, which is an arrangernent by which maneuverability can be obtained.

Having thus described an embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for operating a plurality of propellers arranged in parallel, comprising an engine to which each propeller is operatively coupled for full-speed operation, an engine used for cruising speed, at least one of the engines being a gas turbine, at least two of the engines being served by a common gas generator, which generator includes a compressor, a combustor and a turbine for operating the compressor.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that all of the engines are gas turbines.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each propeller is carried by its own shaft, a gear wheel connected to each shaft, pinions engaging said gear wheels and powered by the full-speed engines and the cruisingspeed engines, and clutches by means of which the pinions can be engaged with or disengaged from the gear wheels.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the propellers are of the controllable-pitch type.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the common gas generator has branch lines coupled to the cruising-speed engines, and said branch lines are provided with valves for distributing the driving gas to said engines.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,747,334 2/1930 Sundstedt ..170-135.75X 3,115,936 12/1963 Blews -1352 FOREIGN PATENTS 595,684 12/1947 Great Britain.

EVERETT A. POWELL, JR., Primary Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR OPERATING A PLURALITY OF PROPELLERS ARRANGED IN PARALLEL, COMPRISING AN ENGINE TO WHICH EACH PROPELLER IS OPERATIVELY COUPLED FOR FULL-SPEED OPERATION, AN ENGINE USED FOR CRUISING SPEED, AT LEAST ONE OF THE ENGINES BEING A GAS TURBINE, AT LEAST TWO OF THE ENGINES BEING SERVED BY A COMMON GAS GENERATOR, WHICH GENERATOR INCLUDES A COMPRESSOR, A COMBUSTOR AND A TURBINE FOR OPERATING THE COMPRESSOR. 